This invention relates to apparatus for the electrolysis of a liquid under pressure.
Industrial scale pressure electrolyzers are formed from a plurality of cell parcels or units and assembled into a cylindrical block. The cell units are usually designed to have a round configuration so as not to buckle against pressure. In these systems, the assembly is held together against the internal pressure by tie rods in the direction of the longitudinal axis. The seals between the cells must be constructed so that they can withstand the internal pressure. In this form of construction, the electrolyzers can be produced at a reasonable cost if designed to be used only with pressures of up to about 30 bars. Besides, rather expensive embossing tools are required for producing the round electrodes and especially the separator sheets (the diaphragms) which generally have nub-like embossings, since these parts must be embossed in one piece. For these reasons, the electrolyzers employed heretofore were limited within relatively narrow limits with respect to their size and amount of throughput. For example, the largest known electrolyzers for the pressure electrolysis of water yield about 1000 Nm.sup.3 of hydrogen per hour. For further information on such electrolyzers, reference is invited to Chemical Engineering process (Vol. 63 No. 4).